It looks like Apple is starting to grow weary of patent litigation. Hot on the heels of word that the company won a major victory in a Chicago court today, reports are coming in now that the iPhone makers are looking to settle some of its lawsuits involving Android partners.
According to Dow Jones Newswires, Apple has issued proposals to both Samsung and Motorola Mobility to settle several pending patent disputes in exchange for royalty payments to license its intellectual property…
“Apple, of Cupertino, Calif., has asked for between $5 and $15 per handset for some of its patents in one negotiation, or roughly 1% to 2.5% of net sales per device, another person familiar with the matter said. Motorola, for its part, has been criticized for asking for 2.5% of net sales per device for its wireless patents from Apple.”
This development is interesting for a couple of reasons. First off, Apple has $100 billion dollars in cash and other assets. Why would it need to collect money from Android partners? Possibly to put more pressure on them to stop using the OS? Keep in mind that Microsoft already collects at least $5 in licensing fees per handset sold from both of these companies. So another $5, $10, or $15 per handset would be devastating to their already low profit margins.
The move is also interesting because, for the most part, it seemed like Apple had made a good case against the aforementioned Android manufacturers. Save for a few small injunctions in Germany, Apple has essentially been winning a majority of its battles against Samsung and Motorola in Australia, Europe, and here in the US. Why is it so willing to settle all of a sudden?
Regardless of the reason, we’d be happy to see these lawsuits come to an end. And although we don’t imagine that’ll be happening anytime soon, at least the offer is on the table.
[BGR]